Investigate Your Future: Are You Destined for a Crime-Solving Career?

Crime Solving Career

You’ve always been drawn to a good mystery, especially following real detectives as they solve true crimes that actually happened. You listen to true crime podcasts like Serial nearly every day, and you’ve binged-watched your fair share of true crime documentaries on Netflix.

Your affinity for digging into the evidence and becoming an armchair detective has had you pondering another mystery lately: Could you be cut out for a crime-solving career?

Your sleuthing skills might be breadcrumbs pointing the way to a possible new career path. But it takes more than CSI reruns to be an ideal candidate for the job. So how do you know whether you’d be a good fit?

We dug into the research and spoke with an expert investigator to find out what it takes to solve crimes in real life. Read on to find out if a crime-solving career could be in your future.

7 telltale traits of a super sleuth

An investigative crime-solving career sounds like a dream, but you don’t want to rush into a new career path if it’s not right for you. It’s one thing to follow true crime cases from the comfort of your living room. It’s another to spend every day piecing together real evidence to lock up criminals.

Law enforcement officer RJ Beam brings his 17 years of experience as a patrol officer, evidence technician and investigator to shed some light on the characteristics of a top-notch investigator. If you can relate to these personality traits, you may be better equipped than you thought for a crime-solving career.

1. Detail oriented

You are always aware of your surroundings and notice when things are off. Your extensive DVD collection is alphabetized and it doesn’t take long for you to notice when they’ve been mixed up. This level of perception and attention to detail can be put to good use in a career solving crimes.

“We tend to catch people because they missed a detail,” Beam explains. He adds that keeping close track of a suspect’s story can help you catch them in a lie, or noticing dust on a shelf can show you where to dust for fingerprints.

Criminals will go to great lengths to conceal their wrongdoing. It’s up to the sharp eyes of the investigators to notice the small details that lead to new evidence and suspects.

2. Precise

You’re a methodical person who knows the importance of following a formula. You always get your oil changed as soon as you reach the suggested mileage and carefully follow the setup instructions whenever you purchase a new gadget. These systems were developed for a reason, so you intend to follow them.

This precision will serve you well in a crime-solving career. Collecting evidence isn’t as simple as it looks on TV. If an investigator doesn’t follow procedures exactly, they could contaminate the evidence or make it dismissible in court.

“An investigator needs to be diligent in being as close to perfect as possible all the time,” Beam says. “The second an investigator takes a shortcut, they start down a path to lose the case in court.”

3. Patient

Some people always expect instant results and can’t stand the thought of waiting, but not you. You know that conquering the next level of your favorite video game takes time and persistence. If you try jumping the gun, you could quickly find yourself back at square one.

While your favorite police thrillers usually wrap up in 60 minutes or less, real-life investigators need much more patience than their Hollywood counterparts. Investigators should be prepared to spend plenty of time questioning suspects and witnesses, watching for suspicious activity as they keep surveillance on a crime scene or suspect, and sitting through court proceedings as they wait their turn to testify.

4. Open minded

You’re not one to buy into stereotypes. You prefer experiencing something firsthand before adopting preconceived notions. Even though you feel you have good intuition, you’re always willing to hear and consider opposing views.

Assumptions are the enemy of a good investigator, according to Beam. “If you walk into a scene and assume something happened, your investigation will be biased by the assumption.”

Jumping to conclusions is never in an investigation’s best interest. A super sleuth should be able to put their preexisting judgments and assumptions by the wayside so they can focus on the facts and catch the perpetrator.

5. Communication master

You enjoy interacting with others and can connect with people of all backgrounds. Whether it’s in writing or in a conversation, you know how to articulate your ideas in order to be easily understood and well received.

Despite what you may see on TV or in mystery novels, great detectives aren’t flying solo as they work to crack a case. “We work as a team with other police, ambulance and fire crews, along with hospital staff in an investigation,” Beam explains.

Strong communication is the foundation of a successful investigative team, whether it’s writing up an accurate report or briefing your colleagues on the status of a case. You’ll also find yourself speaking with a variety of people to gather details on the crime, so strong interpersonal skills are a must.

6. Critical thinker

You’re great at assessing a situation and thinking on your feet to determine an appropriate solution. You often make connections that other people would never notice because you’re perceptive and think about things differently.

Real-life detectives have their work cut out for them if they want to connect the dots and uncover the events that took place on a crime scene. In addition to making sense of evidence, investigators also have to piece together the truth behind witness statements that may be conflicting. Your critical thinking skills are just what an investigation team needs to crack a difficult case.

7. Top-notch researcher

You insist on having all of the information before making any significant decisions. You analyze every last feature of a new vehicle before purchasing, and you take it upon yourself to learn more about the subjects of your documentaries.

Professional investigators never take anything at face value. They must be diligent researchers in order to corroborate leads they receive, dig up relevant information about suspects and peruse past police reports that may yield clues about the current investigation. If you’re considering a crime-solving career, you better not be afraid of a little research.

Uncover the truth about crime-solving careers

If you can relate to the qualities detailed above, you just might be a natural-born investigator. But how can you be sure you want to pursue the profession?

If you want to get an inside look at a day on the job as an investigator, Beam recommends you arrange a ride-along with your local police department. “Many departments allow civilians to ride with an officer for a few hours to see what police work is like,” he says.

Patrolling with an officer isn’t the same as being a detective working a case. But you will get a feel for the environment and get a behind-the-scenes glimpse of what really goes into solving crimes. “One hour in a squad car, and someone will know if working at a police department is right for them or not,” Beam adds.

Investigate your future career

Now that you know what it takes to solve crimes, you might be ready to join the ranks of master investigators. Learn more about your crime-solving career options in our article, Private Investigator vs. Police Detective: Making the Case.

RELATED ARTICLES:

About the author

Ashley Brooks

Ashley is a freelance writer for Collegis education who writes student-focused articles on behalf of Rasmussen University. She believes in the power of words and knowledge and enjoys using both to encourage others on their learning journeys

female writer

Related Content

Related Content

This piece of ad content was created by Rasmussen University to support its educational programs. Rasmussen University may not prepare students for all positions featured within this content. Please visit www.rasmussen.edu/degrees for a list of programs offered. External links provided on rasmussen.edu are for reference only. Rasmussen University does not guarantee, approve, control, or specifically endorse the information or products available on websites linked to, and is not endorsed by website owners, authors and/or organizations referenced. Rasmussen University is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission, an institutional accreditation agency recognized by the U.S. Department of Education.

logo-accreditation-acen logo-accreditation-ccne chart-credential-laddering-associates-bachelors-masters 0 Credits 90 Credits 180 Credits 48 Credits Start Here HIGH SCHOOL GRADS Start Here TRANSFER STUDENTS Start Here SECOND DEGREE PURSUERS End Here ASSOCIATE'S DEGREE Start Here MASTER'S DEGREE PURSUERS End Here BACHELOR'S DEGREE End Here MASTER'S DEGREE chart-credential-laddering-associates-bachelors 0 Credits Start Here HIGH SCHOOL GRADS Start Here TRANSFER STUDENTS 90 Credits Start Here SECOND DEGREE PURSUERS End Here ASSOCIATE'S DEGREE 180 Credits End Here BACHELOR'S DEGREE chart-credential-laddering-msn chart-credential-laddering-nursing-programs chart-credential-laddering-post-grad-np chart-credential-laddering-nursing DNP MSN RN to BSN LPN to RN Bridge Accelerated BSN Professional Nursing ADN Practical Nursing Diploma Pre-Licensure Post-Licensure icon-colored-outline-bank icon-colored-outline-certificate icon-colored-outline-circle-dollar-sign icon-colored-outline-folder-search icon-colored-outline-hand-heart icon-colored-outline-head-blocks icon-colored-outline-head-cog icon-colored-outline-head-heart icon-colored-outline-health-plus-leaves icon-colored-outline-hospital icon-colored-outline-lifelong-learning icon-colored-outline-light-bulb-analytics icon-colored-outline-location-pin icon-colored-outline-magnifying-glass icon-colored-outline-monitor-healthcare icon-colored-outline-monitor-paper-search icon-colored-outline-nurse-rays icon-colored-outline-padlock-shield icon-colored-outline-person-presenter-screen icon-colored-outline-scales ras-logo-flame ras-logo-horizontal ras-logo-stacked icon-colored-advance icon-colored-arrows-cross-curve icon-colored-briefcase-star icon-colored-build icon-colored-bulb-analytics icon-colored-certificate icon-colored-continual-development icon-colored-duo-chatbox icon-colored-folder-mortarboard icon-colored-forward-ribbon icon-colored-gears-clock icon-colored-globe-pen icon-colored-growth icon-colored-hand-bubble icon-colored-hand-stars icon-colored-hands-gear icon-colored-head-blocks icon-colored-head-cog icon-colored-health-plus-leaves icon-colored-hospital-building icon-colored-laptop-cbe-skyscraper icon-colored-laptop-checkmark icon-colored-laptop-webpage icon-colored-location-map icon-colored-location-pin icon-colored-monitor-paper-scan icon-colored-mortarboard-dollar icon-colored-national icon-colored-people-chat-bubbles icon-colored-person-cheer-star icon-colored-person-laptop-checkboxes icon-colored-person-screen-instructor icon-colored-person-whiteboard icon-colored-phone-chatbox icon-colored-police-light icon-colored-prep icon-colored-presenter icon-colored-regional icon-colored-save-time icon-colored-shirt-hat icon-colored-skyscraper icon-colored-state icon-colored-student-centered icon-colored-support icon-colored-world-experience icon-triangle-arrow-up-plant icon-triangle-calendar-pencil icon-triangle-clock-rotating-arrows icon-triangle-display-gears icon-triangle-hand-right-speech-bubble icon-triangle-laptop-coding-brackets icon-triangle-mortarboard icon-triangle-paper-ribbon icon-triangle-person-cheer-star icon-triangle-person-juggle icon-triangle-triple-people-chat-bubble icon-modality-campus icon-modality-field icon-modality-online icon-modality-residential icon-arrow icon-bank icon-camera icon-filter icon-general-chart icon-general-connect icon-general-degree icon-general-discuss icon-general-email icon-general-find icon-general-hat icon-general-heart icon-general-laptop-building icon-general-laptop icon-general-leader icon-general-map icon-general-money icon-general-paperwork icon-general-people icon-general-phone icon-general-speak-out icon-head-heart icon-info-circle icon-mail-forward icon-mglass icon-play-solid icon-quote-mark-left icon-quote-mark-right icon-scales icon-share-square-o icon-simple-chat icon-simple-desktop icon-simple-find icon-simple-hamburger icon-simple-phone icon-spinner icon-tag icon-testimonial-quotes icon-util-checkbox-white icon-util-checkbox icon-util-checked-white icon-util-checked icon-util-chevron-down icon-util-chevron-left icon-util-chevron-right icon-util-chevron-up icon-util-circle-arrow-down icon-util-circle-dot icon-util-language-switch icon-util-loading icon-util-open-window-link icon-util-pdf-link icon-util-refresh icon-util-x rebrand-arrows icon-social-facebook-colored icon-social-facebook-square-colored icon-social-facebook-square icon-social-facebook icon-social-google-plus-square icon-social-google-plus icon-social-instagram-colored icon-social-instagram icon-social-linkedin-square-colored icon-social-linkedin-square icon-social-linkedin icon-social-pinterest-p-colored icon-social-pinterest-p icon-social-twitter-colored icon-social-twitter-square icon-social-twitter icon-social-youtube-play-colored icon-social-youtube-play graduate-cap-star-coin hand-coin hand-heart nurse-stethoscope-rays card-send-smile person-yoga-pose suitcase-star